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Centre of Excellence
| One Stop Shop |
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The Sussex Vision Centre is a "One Stop Shop", the support of the visually impaired
often require more than one type of assistance. The co-ordination of
service provision is taking place without the client having to go from
one service department to another, without necessarily claiming to
tackle each and every problem or acting as an intermediary on every
issue.
We are reaching out to many housebound visually impaired and disabled
who cannot attend our Centre by means of our home visiting programme.
Transport is provided to allow clients to play an active role in the
activities of the Centre.
Visually impaired people take a strong lead role in the Society and
its committees. Some are employed and some are volunteers. A large
number of sighted volunteers young and old, employed and unemployed,
aid the aims and aspirations of the Society. Manning the information
desk at the Sussex Eye Hospital, carrying out home visiting, helping
with the activities of the centre, driving and escorting, helping with
reading and delivering equipment, campaigning and fundraising,
advising and counselling.
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The landscaping of the grounds and courtyards will form an integral part of the concept of the Centre. |
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| The Building |
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William Moon Lodge is situated in an elevated position, in the
Hollingdean area of Brighton, orientated approximately north/south. It
was originally built as a single storey old peoples home about 30
years ago. The layout is arranged as a continuous building around four
sides of a central garden area. In the middle of the south side there
is a two store block which houses water tanks at first floor level and
there are boilers in a basement. The building has a floor area of
approximately 17,000 sq ft (1,500 sq m).
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| Services on Offer |
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A Centre for excellence meeting in full the needs of blind and
partially sighted people will be recognised by seven key hallmarks:
- outreach to people at home.
- an extensive range of special aids.
- a range of information systems.
- an agreed level of staff support.
- communication technology organised activities in key areas.
- space to meet formally and informally.
William Moon Lodge already provides the bulk of the twenty-one key
authorities specifically listed in the document "A new deal for blind
and partially sighted people issued by Visual Handicap Group in 1993"
as a guide to resource Centre development.
This multi-agency multidisciplinary setting for work with clients of
all ages is focused around seven key service concepts for the range of
staff working from the centre:
- sound need assessment.
- individual programmes for rehabilitation.
- case co-ordination.
- the availability of counselling.
- a system of visiting training opportunity.
- volunteer involvement.
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| Staff Roles |
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The Centre is a place where professional workers, carers. and
volunteers can meet and work together with the blind and partially
sighted people for a better quality of life.
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| The facilities in the Centre |
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The key facilities to be provided in the Centre, has determined the
overall layout and resourcing will be:
- Information and advice service providing addresses and telephone
numbers of international, national, regional and local organisations,
and details of their work.
- A large stack of specialist equipment. A customer order facility
offering both a personal and a postal service, and items for loan.
Information days geared to the needs of the newly registered people.
- A base for rehabilitation, training and counselling.
- A demonstration kitchen, providing independent living skills,
training and outreach follow-up by the rehabilitation staff.
- Low vision aids, training and support.
- Employment support training.
- Social and art and craft activities.
- A sport development programme.
- Services and support for the young and their families.
- Advice on health and fitness.
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The Centre will provide a range of specifically designed
training programmes, including Information Technology. |
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| The aims of the Centre |
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| Five Particular Needs |
| Mobility Training | Support in Work | Maximising Vision | Learning Systems | Leisure Aid |
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E | Low Vision Clinic | Hydratherapy Pool | Career and Job Advice | C
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| Interagency Action |
| Reading Services & Libraries | Sport & Leisure Support | State Benefits Advice |
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| Achievement and Advancement |
A diagram showing the relationship between the facilities that the Centre intends to provide.
Blind and partially sighted people are not passive recipients of the
services. They actively engage with the Resource Centre so that the
ways of meeting the five needs reinforce each other, resulting in a
real integration of services. Many visually impaired people are not
able to get to the Centre. Some are housebound, but this should not
put the Centre beyond their reach. The Centre emphasises "outreach" to
people at home, breaking down isolation and linking people to the
Centre. So as to meet in full the needs of blind and partially sighted
people, the Centre has seven major components:
- An extensive range of special aids.
- A range of information systems.
- An agreed level of staff support.
- Communications technology.
- Organised activities in key areas.
- Space to meet formally and informally.
- Centre outreach to people in their homes.
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| The Arts Programme |
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Access to the arts for the visually impaired is extremely restricted.
From the beginning of the refurbishment of the new premises,
innovative and exciting art and design has been of great importance to
the Centre, and complements the specific facilities listed above.
The use of bold and tactile artworks around the Centre will provide
"landmarks" for orientation as well as giving the Centre a lively
individuality making it a pleasure to visit. The Conference room will
be an ideal place to display temporary exhibits and work produced in
the art rooms.
The whole range of senses can be explored by, for example; creating a
scented garden, installing tactile and robust play equipment for the
children, sound and sculptures that make use of wind or water.
The Centre will present an exciting and challenging arts programme for
the visually impaired offering special workshops in art, music,
writing and drama. There will be regular art and craft sessions for
all ages and interests and visiting musicians and writers will be
invited to speak and perform.
The Centre will also build links with schools and colleges encouraging
interaction between sighted and visually impaired people through
special art and design projects.
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| Craft Centre |
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Here there are facilities for pottery, weaving, sewing and woodwork,
helping people to enjoy crafts that they would have enjoyed before
losing their sight. These facilities will also encourage young people
who have been blind since birth to develop dexterity and useful skills
and occupations.
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| The Training Kitchen |
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This offers training in daily living skills and independent living to
young and old. The sheer enjoyment and pleasure of cooking and sharing
a meal with friends will boost confidence in learning new skills or
relearning forgotten ones. The kitchen consists of well-equipped units
and utensils, with gas and electric cookers, and low level units for
wheelchair users. There is a dining room where those participating in
the training can enjoy the fruits of their endeavours.
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| Child Development Unit |
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A specially adapted child development unit provides:
| 0-5 yrs | Pre-school support and counselling for
parents and carers, specialist child development facilities |
| 5-16 yrs | Resource support to teachers, children
and parents. Training in music, drama, social skills, hobbies, crafts.
Communication skills, extra tuition for children falling behind in
class, holiday activities. |
A music studio, practice room and recording studio will provide the
opportunity for enjoyment of music and offer music therapy to very
small children.
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Child Development Department
| Aims & Objectives |
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Aims:
- To offer information, support and counselling to parents, carer's
and visually impaired or multi disabled visually impaired young
people.
- To provide where possible a range of appropriate resources for
family members and interested professionals.
- To offer the nursery, educational, play and sensory stimulation
facilities available at the Society's premises.
- To encourage and enhance the development of blind, partially
sighted multi disabled visually impaired young people through sensory
experience.
Objectives:
- To provide information, audio/video library, toy library, access
to the internet and specialist equipment to parents and carer's.
- Acknowledge the emotional impact of disability and offer support
where appropriate to parents and family when required.
- Provide and encourage opportunities for leisure, play activities
for school age children and varied sensory stimulation.
- To provide the opportunity for the professional development of a
specialist nursery provision.
- To liaise with statutory and voluntary organisations where
appropriate.
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| Connections |
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To be fully effective, the Centre has to make links with other
specialist services.
Support for visually impaired people in Brighton and Hove largely
comes from carers - family, friends and neighbours. Specialised help
comes via professionals of a wide variety of types - ophthalmic staff
with various titles in the health-care field, social services home,
day, and residential care staff; private sector residential and
nursing accommodation; and chiropody and community nurses.
All contribute at various times, together with staff whose specific
role is to help the rehabilitation of blind and partially sighted
people following initial registration - the Sensory Impairment
Team.
Rehabilitation cannot be seen in isolation when the client group
displays much evidence of additional disability beyond loss of sight.
he Society through its Centre seeks to collaborate with all such
agencies to improve the well-being of all those who need support in
the Brighton and Hove community, in the wider County, and with
national agencies: the Guide Dogs Association for the Blind, and the
Royal National Institute for the Blind.
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| Working Together |
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Effective care in the community for people of all ages, but especially
those with several disabling conditions requires health, social,
educational, independent and voluntary agencies to work jointly both
in care planning and in the support given to individuals.
Introduction to Sussex Vision Centre
Back to About Brighton Society for the Blind